U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill says she continues to support a cautious approach to modifying how the military justice system and the armed forces handle the sexual assault of women.
A recent Pentagon report estimates nearly 26,000 people in the armed forces experienced unwanted sexual contact last year. McCaskill, a Democrat sitting on the Armed Services Committee, says the military can fix its problem while supporting the victims.
“I have not yet found a case where the commanders are refusing to go forward when the prosecutors have recommended it,” she says.
McCaskill has proposed a bill that removes the authority of commanders to overturn sexual assault convictions which has happened in the past. The senator says close consultation with military prosecutors and attention to the needs of victims, along with some changes to how the military handles sexual assault, will help preserve the careers of women and men in the armed forces.
